Folding top or hood for vehicles.



M. BUCH.

FOLDlNG TOP 0R HOOD FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. I915- Patented Mari 20, 1917.

I Jfl'a/x Bach fin %M rran snares MAX noon, on nnrnorr, mronrean assronon T0 HENRY n. nnwanns, or JAGKSGN,

.MIGHIGAN.

FOLDING- TGP OR HOOD FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar, 240, 1917,

Original application filed may 28, 1914, Serial No. 841,627. Divided and this application filed December 1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MAX Boon, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Detroit, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tops or Hoods for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, this application being a division of an application filed by me in the United States Patent Ofiice on the 28th day of May, 1914, Serial No. 841,627.

This invention relates to folding tops or hoods, such as are used on motor vehicles and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple form of hood which can be operated single handed, if necessary, from the inside of the vehicle, and which will collapse neatly into a very small space. For instance, it can be made to collapse into a very small box or channel provided at the back of the body. Prior to my invention it has not been an easy matter to provide a hood having five bows suitable for a large vehicle which will collapse into a small space and yet be operable single handed.

The invention includes the novel features of construction and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described, an embodiment of the invention being shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1' shows a side elevation of the body of an automobile with my improved top or hood applied thereto, this figure of the drawing showing the position of the frame of the top in its extended position in full lines, and in partly collapsed and fully closed position in broken or dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a modification, difiering only from Fig. 1 in the showing of the link S.

Inthese figures as the top is shown in side elevation only the bow arms and or levers on one side appear, those on the other side being hiddembut it will be understood that the parts on the opposite side are duplicates of those which appear in the drawings.

In the-construction shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of-the standard or main bow arm Serial No. 64,544.-

A on each side of the top is formed of a T-shape, as indicated at D, and one end of this T-shaped head or portion is pivoted to the body, as indicated. at point B. To the other end of the Tshaped head is pivotally connected the end of the rear bow C, as indi cated at B. When the hood is fully raised, 5 the rear bow arm and the heads D of the standard or bow arm A are in line with each other, as shown by the full lines, but as the hood is collapsed or folded, the end D drops down into the vertical position shown in dotted lines, drawing the rear bow forward, and thereby preventing excessive overhang of this member, as will be clear from the dotted lines. The main standard or bow arm A inclines forwardly, and has pivoted u to it the lower ends of a rear supplemental bow arm E, the pivotal axis being indicated at E. This rear supplemental bow arm in the extended position of the top, projects rearwardly approximately parallel to the rear bow arm 0, but when the top is'col; lapsed it lies snugly against the underside of the main standard or bow arm and between it and the rear bow arm, as shown in the dotted lines. The outrigger bow arm of the 7 hood or top is indicated at K, and is supported from the main standard or bow arm A by a system of links or levers hereinafter more specifically described.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the so rear end of the outrigger bow arm Kis pivotally connected with the main standard or how arm A near the upper end thereof, by link G, the rear end of said link being pivot ally connected to the said standard or main bow arm A and to the rear end of the outrigger bow arm K by the pivot indicated at P. To the link G at D, is pivotally conn ed a lever D which is extended above below its pivot D and which may carry at its upper end a front auxiliary bow as shown. The portion of the lever arm D which extends below the pivot is connected to the main'standard A. by a link N and preferably the portion of the-{lever arm I) abovethe pivot, is connected to the ohtrigger bow arm K by a link M. From the construction described it will be seen that the material of the top is supported by five bows.

An important feature of the invention is that one of the links forming a part of the link or lever system which supports the top cover in front of the main standard or bow arm on each side is extended or projected with relation'to its point of pivotal connection with the standard A, as indicated, for example, at and such extension is connected by a link J to the rearsupplemental bow arm E.

. From the above description it will be apparent that I provide a construction which has extreme rigidity, when extended, in which the bows are all held accurately spaced by the links and undue strains on the cover avoided, while at the same time the topis capable of being extended or collapsed from either within or without. If collapsed from within, movement. of the standard or main bow backwardly by one hand, how arm E being held against movement by the other hand, will result in forcibly moving link G about its pivot in the direction of the arrow Y, so that the joint P is broken, and the front end of the forward or outrigger bow moves rearwardly substantially without dropping, and at the same time without rising. In other words, by my construction the whole top, in folding, moves rearwardly without either raising or lowering until that portion of the frame in advance of the standard or main bo'w arm A has folded thereagainst, after which the parts swing backwardly and downwardly in the horizontal dotted line position at the extremity of the bows indicated by the letter R. Thus the occupants of the vehicle are not interfered with in either the folding or extension of the hood, while at the same time the top may be folded in a garage or stable having limited head roomwithout difliculty.

Furthermore, with my improved construction the standard A, rear supplementalbow E and outrigger bow K and the front intermediate bow may be moved toward each other until into close proximity without moving the" rear bow C or collapsing the rear portion of thetop and will be self-supporting in this position, owingto the fact that the supplemental bow E and the standard A may be brought into proximity to each other before the standard A has swung back far enough to cause the center of gravity to pass to the rear of the pivot B. This enables the operator 'to conveniently tuck the covering material between the bows so as to enable it to lie properly and neatly when the top-is completely folded back.

' If'glesired, a flexible link S may be provided between the rear bow arm C and the mental rear bow arm pivoted to the stand-- ard, a flexible link connection between the said supplemental bow arm and rear bow man, an outrigger bow arm, link mechanism connecting said outrigger bow arm to the main standard, an extension on said link mechanism, and means connecting said extension with the said rear supplemental how.

2. In a vehicle hood, the combination with the main standard and rear bow arm pivotally supported from the vehicle body, of a rear supplemental bow arm pivotally connected to the main bow arm, an outrigger bow arm; a link connecting the rear-end of said outrigger bow arm with the side of the main bow arm above the point of connection thereto of the rear supplemental bow arm, said link extending beyond its point of pivotal connection with 'the standard, means connecting the extended portion of the link with said rear supplemental bow arm, a front supplemental bow arm pivotally connected to said first named link and having its end extended below its pivot, a link connecting said extended end with the standard, and a link connecting said front supplemental bow arm with the outrigger bow arm.

3. In a vehicle hood, the combination with the main and rear bow arms pivotally supported from the vehicle body, of a rear supplemental bow arm pivotally connected 'to the main bow arm, an outrigger bow arm, a

ing an extension, a link connecting said extension with the rear supplemental bow arm, an arm or lever pivotally connected to said first named link and having a part extended below its pivot, a link connecting said extended part with the main bow arm, and a link connecting the part of said arm gr lever above its pivot with the outrigger 4. In a vehicle hood, the combination with the main standard and rear bow arm pivotally supported from the vehicle body, of a rear supplemental bow arm pivotally connected to the side of the standard,'an outrigger bow, a flexible link connecting said rear and supplemental bow arms, an outrigger bow arm, a link connecting the rear end of the outrigger bow arm with the standard above the point of connection said extended ends with the standard and thereto of the rear supplemental bow arm, a link connecting said front supplemental 1 said link extending rearward of its point of bow arm with the outrigger bow arm. pivotal connection with the standard, a link In testimony whereof, I afiix my signaconnectlng 8211C} rearwlaiid extension fwith ture in presence of two witnesses.

said rear supp ementa 0w arm, a ront supplemental bow arm pivotally connected MAX BUCH' to said first named link and having its end 7 Witnesses: extended below its pivot, a lmk connecting ETHEL M. WALKER, EARLE A. EMERY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Gommiuioner of intents. Washington, D. 0." 

